19 minute read
KAYLA WELLS FEATURE
Guard Kayla Wells reflects on time at A&M, plans for future
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By Grant Gaspard
@grant_gaspard
Abasketball, a pair of sneakers and a strong support system were all it took for a kid from Grand Prairie to turn her dream into a reality.
At the end of the season, even if absent from the NCAA tournament, graduate guard Kayla Wells will have played over 4,200 minutes on the hardwood.
To her, there are only three words that describe that feeling of being the all-time leader in games played at Texas A&M: “Dream come true,” Wells said.
Seventy-plus hours of non-stop, competitive Division I basketball.
One-hundred-and-fifty-three games played donning maroon and white.
“I knew I wanted to go to A&M whenever I was in seventh grade,” Wells said. “Whenever they won the national championship in 2011, I wanted ‘Texas A&M’ worn across my chest.”
Wells’ noteworthy career started back at South Grand Prairie High School with the help of two individuals who she said played large roles in her development.
“Samantha Morrow and Brion Raven. These two really helped me get to where I needed to go and taught me everything I needed to know in order to play at the college level,” Wells said. “So, whenever I got to college, I wasn’t questioning as many things.”
Wells has continuously grown as a student of the game while being taught by one of the best instructors: A&M coach Gary Blair.
“Being able to play under a Hall of Fame head coach is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Wells said. “Coach [Blair] has taught me patience, to learn from the people in front of me and to absorb everything.”
The relationship between coach Blair and Wells is best described by its strong foundation of trust.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m shooting 2-for-20 or 18-for-20, he always instills that trust in
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me and stresses that he trusts me to take those shots,” Wells said. “I feel like trust is a big word between him and I and the relationship we have on and off the court.”
Wells has been the Aggies’ leading scorer this season through 11 games as of Feb. 27, averaging 16.2 points per game, a career-high which did not come overnight. Countless hours spent in the gym and studying how opposing players defend are just a few ways to be one of the best in the game, Wells said.
“This is the first time I have to be the No. 1 scorer,” Wells said. “That is the difference this year. I’m just taking it one game at a time, and I’m just going to play my game. I want to let the game come to me.”
There is no one, true definition of what a leader is — they come in all shapes, sizes and different characteristics — but one thing they all have in common is that they lead by example. Wells’ position as a leader of the team has changed every year, this year being more unique than the past.
“All four years I’ve been here, I’ve been a leader, but it hasn’t always been vocally … I led my team by action,” Wells said. “I feel like this year, however, is a little different, because I’m having to do both. As far as leading, I’m having to be very vocal and try to set an example to my younger teammates through my actions on the court.”
The relationship in the locker room can be compared to that of a family. Ever since the end of last season, women’s basketball was counting down the days until it would be back in College Station once again, Wells said.
“This year has been the most I’ve been invested in a group since I’ve been here,” Wells said. “Our relationship is really special and it has to do with the chemistry on and off the court and just having fun.”
Looking back at her time at A&M, Wells said her favorite part about playing here was the support from the 12th Man.
“When we were 0-4 in conference games, they still showed up to our games and supported us,” Wells said. “They have stressed to us that they still believe in us and that the season is not over yet. They always have faith in us and believe in us, and if they can, then we should, too.”
When that final buzzer goes off, many people ask themselves, “What’s next?” For Wells, her future spotlights a microphone rather than a basketball.
“I want to go into sports broadcasting,” Wells said. “I got the chance this year to shadow Andrew Cotter. I also got to work in the TV booth and work with the commentators for the Texas A&M-Mississippi State game.”
Until then, Wells’ resume features two Sweet Sixteen appearances, is a member of the 1,000 point club and an all-time leader in 3-point percentage at 36.9% from beyond the arc.
“I’ve been to a lot of gyms, played in a lot of gyms and there are not many like ours,” Wells said. “I’m grateful I go here and go to a place where people really appreciate women’s basketball, because you don’t see that often.”
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“... he would do and say these things with intent to get me more comfortable with him.”
“I thought I could trust him.” “He was bragging about it.”
“He was reported to the chairs two times and those chairs did nothing.”
A TRADITION, TARNISHED
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Saturday was an upset nobody expect-ed. Texas A&M football defeated thenNo. 1 University of Alabama in front of a sold-out Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 9 with 106,815 fans in attendance. The last time A&M defeated the Crimson Tide was in the 2012 upset in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s previous record against his former assistant coaches was 24-0, with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo
Fisher recording the first-ever victory over his former boss. While the win is great, Fisher said he will not be fully satisfied until he sees how his team performs throughout the rest of the season. “We can be special. Our football team is learning to play against other great football teams and have success. That’s what matters to me,” Fisher said. “It shows a lot of character, and it shows a lot of belief in themselves. It shows a lot of belief in their teammates.” At halftime, Alabama went into the locker room trailing on the scoreboard for the first time since Oct. 17, 2020, when the Tide took on Georgia in an eventual 41-24 victory over the Bulldogs. For the Aggies, it all came down to the fourth quarter, with A&M only leading by one touchdown, 31-24. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada found his groove. With the 12th Man behind him, the signal caller led the Aggies to score in all three possessions during the first quarter. Additionally, Calzada was 10 for 10 before throwing an interception in the middle of the second quarter.“There is not a harder position in sports to play than quarterback,” Fisher said. “[I’m] very proud of Zach. He’s a high-character
By Jennifer Streeter @jennystreeter3 Senior defensive back Leon O’Neal Jr. recovered the ball fumbled by Alabama at the end of the first quarter. O’Neal returned the ball to Alabama’s 41-yard line allowing A&M to score a touchdown in the following drive. Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION young man. He cares, and it matters to him.” For the ground game, junior running back Isaiah Spiller and sophomore running back Devon Achane stole the show. Spiller ran for 46 yards and one touchdown. One highlight of the night for the maroon and white was Achane’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touch-down in the third quarter. Achane said he was in disbelief with the amount of open green available to him. “I couldn’t believe it because the hole was so big,” Achane said. “After scoring that, the feeling was just amazing. It gave us a lot of momentum. It was a big opportunity for us.” GAME RECAP ON PG. 3
The Aggies’ 41-38 victory over the Crimson Tide was the result of months of hard work put forth by the A&M football team. Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
Over five months ago, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher made a bold promise: “We’re going to beat his ass.” On the surface, this claim lacked substance, with many left wondering why Fisher would single out one specific coach — Alabama’s Nick Saban. After all, Fisher had already accomplished almost everything there is to do in college football — two national championships, three conference titles, nine bowl wins and a College Coach of the Year award. But beating Saban, his former boss, in headto-head competition had significance of its own. “I have the utmost respect for Nick Saban. I always have, I always will and I consider us friends,” Fisher said. “But we’re competitors. That’s ball, and I respect him for that.” Starting in 2000, Fisher worked under Sa-ban as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Louisiana State University. The two won a national championship together with LSU in 2003, but after Saban left for the Miami Dolphins, the duo’s path split. Even apart, the two men’s coaching styles remained similar, something Fisher attributes to the pair’s similar upbringings from the “same neck of the woods” in West Virginia. Nearly a decade later, Saban went on yet another streak of success as a college football
coach. Starting in 2010, Saban began terrorizing his former assistants who had since taken over their own programs as head coaches. With 24 straight wins and an undefeated record against his earlier protégés, including four wins over Fisher, Saban’s dominance threatened to continue with no end in sight; beating the seven-time national champion seemed to be a feat unconquerable to those who, at one point, worked under the man. Even so, in Fisher’s words, Saban’s downfall “was inevitable” because “someone was going to do it, in time.”And though he didn’t necessarily expect it, Fisher himself became the grand champion whose arrival was foretold in his own proph-ecy. From Jimbo, with love By Ryan Faulkner @ryanfaulk03 Jimbo Fisher celebrates 56th birthday with win over former boss Nick Saban On Saturday, Oct. 9, the unranked Aggies upset the undefeated No. 1 Crimson Tide in front of 106,815 fans at Kyle Field. Not only did the win put A&M back on track after two consecutive losses to open its SEC campaign, but it also gave Fisher another win of his own — proof he could do what was thought to be impossible and take down his former boss, mentor and colleague.Saban said he had no choice but to praise his former assistant, impressed with A&M’s ability to snap Alabama’s 19-game winning streak. “I have great respect for [Fisher]. I always say that. He is one of the best who ever did it,” Saban said on the postgame CBS broadcast. “I learned a lot when I coached with him, and we had a lot of good times.” By finally defeating Saban, Fisher
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Failures in reporting process, unbalanced power dynamics create culture of sexual assault, harassment in Fish Camp
By Myranda Campanella
@MCampanella_
Power dynamics, grooming, hookups
Editor’s note: The Battalion does not publish the names or identifying information of rape and sexual assault victims. The names of victims and assailants in this article have been altered or removed to protect the subjects’ identities.
Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence and predatory behavior.
“I thought he was someone I could trust.”
Journalism junior, “Ashley,” said this of the male counselor in her 2018 Fish Camp Discussion Group, who was supposed to “offer advice about classes, College Station and anything else you need as you begin your journey as an Aggie,” according to Fish Camp’s website.
Ashley’s D.G. dad sexually assaulted her four months into her freshman year at Texas A&M — the unwanted campus welcome that she said stole her joy about the school.
Boldly stated on the front page of its website, Fish Camp, founded in 1954, is “A freshman’s first tradition” at A&M. However, sexual assault and harassment have woven their way in as a hidden part of the tradition as current students — D.G. “moms” and “dads” — are placed in positions of power over incoming freshmen. The result is an established culture of hookups, grooming and sexual assault and harassment among counselors that extends well beyond the four-day summer retreat held two hours away from College Station. In addition, a failure to adhere to proper protocols — in which claims of abuse and harassment against counselors are passed along to director staff and faculty advisors — has created a climate that protects abusers from repercussions and subjects freshmen to predatory behavior.
Lauren Carroll Spitznagle, executive director of the Brazos Valley Sexual Assault Resource Center, said it is “common knowledge” among her peers that students have been assaulted by Fish Camp staff.
The unequal power dynamic that Fish Camp creates between counselors and incoming freshmen makes it easy for someone who has not learned healthy boundaries to assert predatory behaviors, Carroll Spitznagle said. “Whenever you have someone that’s in a position of power like that — especially with students that come from all over the world with different cultures and backgrounds — it becomes, unfortunately, a way for survivors to be preyed upon,” Carroll Spitznagle said. Ashley said when she met her D.G. dad on the first day of Fish Camp, she thought he was nice and trustworthy. Once classes began, Ashley said her D.G. dad remained in contact with her and often told her to call him if she ever needed a ride from Northgate, which he insisted was commonplace between D.G. parents and their freshmen. On the night of Dec. 1, 2018, Ashley called her D.G. dad for a ride home from Northgate, but when he picked her up, he locked Ashley inside his car and tried to force her to kiss him and perform oral sex. Afterward, he drove them to his apartment in Park West instead of to her house, as she had asked, and attempted to rape her. In hindsight, Ashley said she realized there had been red flags, like how he would ask the freshman girls if
COMMON TERMS: they had boyfriends and when he saved his contact name in Fish Camp - Texas A&M’s Ashley’s phone with a smiley freshman orientation program face. Ashley said she now sees these subtle actions as her D.G.
D.G. - discussion group dad grooming her because he was ultimately able to build D.G. dad - male discussion trust and put her in situations group leader that would have otherwise been weird.
D.G. mom - female “I was a freshman. I was discussion group leader young, you know? I was coming into this camp as brand new; I hadn’t been fully educated on the concepts of grooming and sexual assault, so I never thought it was weird,” Ashley said. “Looking back now, he would do these things and say these things with intent to get me more comfortable with him.” After confiding in other members of her D.G. following the assault, Ashley said she was told her counselor had also assaulted his Fish Camp partner and another freshman in their D.G.
“His D.G. partner was very uncomfortable with him from the start. [She] asked to get a new partner, and they told her no,” Ashley said. “The organization told her no, and she had to stay with him.
“After Fish Camp, he sexually assaulted her.”
Additionally, Ashley said she was told by her D.G. mom that her assaulter was also reported to chairs for sexually assaulting freshmen in 2017 and 2019. Because of those chairs’ failure to report up to the director staff, as is protocol, he was able to re-apply to be a counselor again and again. Ashley said he ultimately graduated from A&M in May 2020 with no consequences.
“He was reported to chairs two times, and those chairs did nothing,” Ashley said. “And because those chairs did nothing [in 2017], I was sexually assaulted.”
Ashley’s D.G. dad denied the allegations against him in a comment to The Battalion and declined to comment further.
Even though Ashley reported her assault to Title IX two years later, Fish Camp’s current Head Director Eric Muñoz, Class of 2021, said it is not common for victims of Fish Camp-related sexual assaults to report their offenders. However, he said if someone told him assault is common within the organization, he would be “very saddened, but I also would not be as surprised as others.”
In addition to sexual assault, Fish Camp is also a common place for counselors to meet dating or hookup partners, either among other counselors or, sometimes, even the freshmen, as was the case with now-junior “Grace.”
Grace said she began hooking up with her D.G. dad within the first month of classes her freshman year, which Muñoz said is against Fish Camp policy — counselors cannot be romantically involved with any freshmen until their continuity program and membership ends in October each year. However, this policy is not listed in Fish Camp’s Constitution or by-laws.
Grace said she quickly figured out her D.G. dad had ulterior motives for being a Fish Camp counselor from the start.
“He told me he did it to [hook up with freshmen] … and also to make friends,” Grace said. “He was bragging about it.” Muñoz said Fish Camp has a strict no-dating policy, and counselors are encouraged to “keep it PG” with the freshmen and other counselors during camp until continuity ends. “Counselors are told time and time again that their role is to serve freshmen, it’s to be a resource and to be a mentor,” Muñoz said. Despite these policies and constant reminders about Fish Camp’s main missions, Grace said she has discovered it’s really common for students to pursue leadership roles within the organization for the wrong reasons and to overlook its dating policies.
Reporting sexual assault on A&M’s campus
Denise Crisafi, Ph.D., a Health Promotion coordinator within the Offices of the Dean of Student Life, said A&M
FACULTY ADVISORS defines sexual harassment in University Rule 24.4.2 in accordance with federal law as
DIRECTOR STAFF “any type of unwelcome sexual advance” made by students, faculty, staff or campus visitors. CAMP CHAIRS This includes sexual favors as well as verbal and non-verbal communicative conduct of a
CAMP COUNSELORS sexual nature that is “severe, persistent or pervasive enough to [prevent access to] an educaINCOMING FRESHMEN tional, living learning environment,” Crisafi said. Separately, sexual assault is definitively three different acts, Crisafi said: rape, fondling and incest. She said there is no scale for these acts in terms of importance, so no one’s trauma is invalid. “I think it’s really important for our campus community to understand that a lot of times, our initial reaction is to think of [sexual assault] as rape,” Crisafi said. “And that’s true, and it’s incredibly valid. But it also includes other things that can happen in connection with it … or without the definition or action of rape being present.” Crisafi said national statistics show the risk of sexual assault goes up within the first six to eight weeks of the fall semester, particularly among freshmen. “Usually the risk of experiencing sexual violence and or alcohol poisoning and FISH CAMP ON PG. 2
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